Work started on the ancient Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in 1075, but by 1100 it had already become an important place for pilgrims. In this article we will paint a picture of the experience a medieval Christian would have had on arrival from their long and often dangerous journey.

This video shows you a view of the Botafumeiro in action like you’ve never seen before! What is the Botafumeiro? It’s a famous thurible in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. This grand, massive object is used to burn incense for sacramental reasons and to give a nice smell to the Cathedral.

Indulgences in the Roman Catholic Church are a special privilege given to those who fulfill certain criteria. They reduce the time that would have been spent in purgatory suffering for sins after death. In the middle ages the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela was encouraged by granting a plenary indulgence to those who made the journey and did certain things on arrival. Now we look in more depth at what indulgences are, their history, and most importantly how you can save yourself some time in purgatory!

Have you ever wondered what happens to all the data they collect in the Pilgrim’s accreditation office? Once aggregated, it gets published by the Cathedral, and then websites like us can bring you the most interesting results!